COMMUNITY campaigners are launching a beach litter crusade after the number of coastal rangers at Sefton Council was cut in half.

Organiser Carlee Graham explains: “The amount of debris is now building up dramatically along the Sefton coast. This is the worst I’ve seen in years. The ranger service has been reduced.”

The number of coastal rangers has been cut from six to three this year. Previously they would have organised the beach clean-up projects.

But now, in response to the litter build-up, Carlee and her team have been out with their pickers. Having already worked on environmental projects in Asia and Madagascar, she has plenty of experience in the area.

“The array of plastic rubbish on the beaches includes plastic bottles, balloons, plastic bottle caps in their thousands, syringes, toilet fresheners, and children's fizzy drink straws, again in their thousands,” she explained.

“Plastic pollution is a real major problem borne out of our throwaway society. A lot the debris on the beach is from the storm drains, and people throwing waste down the toilet, which ends up in the sea. Some comes in from the Irish Sea and boats.

All of this plastic can kill marine life, birds, turtles and fish.”

Some of our best-loved marine wildlife is under threat from the waste and litter in our seas.

Hundreds of species of marine wildlife accidentally eat or become tangled up in litter.

In addition to harming wildlife, litter on our beaches is hazardous to people.

Carlee and her team are looking to recruit more volunteers for the New Year.

They are also lobbying local councils and the government to get plastic bags banned in Merseyside.

“The public needs to start taking responsibility and using less plastic, for the sake of their children’s future and to protect ocean species from birds to turtles,” she said.

“People can choose not use plastic bags – it takes 500 years for one bag to degrade.

“Plastic bags have been banned in some American states and European countries. The UK is lagging behind.”